Myanmar - Nature and Wildlife

Wildlife found in Myanmar is a mixture of species from North, South and Southeast Asia. There are approximately 300 known mammal species, 300 reptiles and 100 birds found throughout the country. In Myanmar’s jungles, tigers and leopards are quite common. The country’s highlands are home to elephants, rhinoceros, wild buffalo, wild boars as well as various deer species. Myanmar also houses varying monkey species including gibbons.

Reptiles that are found in Myanmar include crocodiles, pythons, cobras and geckos. There are 27 different species of turtles located in the country with seven of them being endemic to Myanmar. Birds are quite common with species from the exotic parrot to the common crow, from pheasants to peafowls to the widespread paddybird.

There are two different types of forests found in Myanmar - monsoon forests and rainforests. Monsoon forests are dry for at least three months of the year and are made up of deciduous trees (trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally). In contrast, rainforests are dominated by broadleaf evergreens and endure a rainy season that lasts around nine months. Forests along the beaches of Myanmar are made up of palm trees and other tree species that can withstand storms.

The Northern Forest complex in northern Myanmar is one of the largest contiguous forest in Southeast Asia. This immense forest goes across lowland areas, wetlands and to snow-covered mountains. While other Southeast Asia countries have witnessed the shrinking of their natural landscapes, Myanmar still has quite large areas of forest and wetlands.

Hunting is the biggest threat to Myanmar’s natural habitats. Commercial hunting provides animals for the local market and for international customers like China. Myanmar’s tigers and turtles are targeted most often. Conservation groups are working around the country to protect these animals and to raise public awareness to the problems commercial hunting poses. They are also safeguarding turtle nesting beaches as well as establishing captive breeding colonies in an attempt to raise the turtle population.

Many groups are working to protect the freshwater population of Irrawaddy dolphins found in the Irrawaddy River. A protected area spans 69 km (43 mi) and is helping to boost public awareness. This awareness is aided by the interesting role that the dolphins play in the fishing industry on the Irrawaddy. They voluntarily herd fish into nets which has the potential to increase the size of the catch by threefold!

There are nine national parks throughout the country with Alaungdaw Kathapap National Park in Sagaing Region being the largest at 160,500 hectares. This park is home to a large population of wild elephants as well as other rare species like the Clouded Leopard, jungle cats, the Himalayan Brown Bear and the Sun Bear among others.

ELEPHANTS

There are approximately 10,000 Asiatic elephants (1/3 of all in the world) distributed throughout Myanmar. Among these are roughly 6,000 working elephants, most of which are used in logging and agriculture.